The invention is applicable, for example, to batteries which are activated by seawater, to certain kinds of lithium battery, and to batteries implementing silver oxide and aluminum couples. Silver oxide and aluminum couple batteries make use of an electrolyte flow constituted by a concentrated aqueous solution of alkaline hydroxide, and the temperature of the electrolyte, in operation, may rise to 90.degree. C., or higher. However, the stability of the silver oxide electrode falls off at around 100.degree. C. and unwanted oxygen formation takes place.
A problem which arises is that of ensuring that electrolyte is distributed within each couple so as to remove the hundreds of thermal watts which are generated therein, while simultaneously providing adequate sealing between successive couples and limiting electrical leakage currents.
European patent specification No. 0101240 describes a stack of bipolar electrodes surrounded by frames which are fixed to one another and which ensure that the electrodes remain suitably spaced apart, with the frames being provided with means for distributing electrolyte between the electrodes.
Such a disposition is not applicable to AgO/Al activatable batteries where the electrodes are very thin, where they are not bipolar as in the above-mentioned patent specification, and where spacing between electrodes under pressure is provided by glued-on tabs.
Preferred implementations of the present invention provide a stacking structure suitable for activatable AgO/Al batteries and capable of solving the above-mentioned problem.